The South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) women’s basketball team will look to play the role of spoiler this weekend as the Clippers head into the postseason. SPSCC will face undefeated Lane Community College in the first round of the Northwest Athletic Conference tournament at Everett Community College on Saturday, March 19. Tipoff is slated for 10 a.m.
The playoff game is a rematch of a December 4 matchup between the Clippers (11-8) and Titans (26-0). Lane Community College won the first meeting, knocking off SPSCC 82-59 in Olympia. The Titans raced out to a 12-point first quarter lead in that game, which proved to be too much of a deficit for the Clippers to overcome.
One major difference in this game, however, will be the presence of SPSCC freshman Sharay Trotter, the Clippers’ leading scorer who did not play in the early season contest against the Titans. Trotter averaged 16.0 points a game during the regular season with a season-high 27 points in an upset over West Region runner-up Centralia (63-57) on February 23.
For SPSCC to win, they will need to figure out how to slow down a Lane offense that is averaging a conference-best 92.3 points a game. The Titans have surpassed the century mark six times this season, including putting up a conference-best 110 points in a 51-point triumph over Wenatchee Valley. In that contest Lane had three players—Addi Melone (25 points), Bella Hamel (23) and Emma McKenney (22)—hit the 20-point mark.
Photo credit: Grant Clark
Defense and rebounding has been the Clippers calling card this season with SPSCC leading the conference in rebounding and placing third in steals. Both aspects will need to be presence throughout all four quarters against the Titans.
The winner of the SPSCC/Lane matchup will face the winner of the game between Spokane and Everett in the Elite 8 on Sunday at 1 p.m. with the winner of that contest advancing to the Final 4 on Saturday, March 26.
The NWAC women’s basketball championship game will be held Sunday, March 27.
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